Evaluation of Modal Parameter Estimation Techniques for Simple Structures

Modal analysis is a specialized tool which has been used for many years to reliably estimate various parameters such as natural frequency, mode shape and damping. Since these parameters have direct relevance to the behavior of any component or structure and the resultant vibrations, the methods used for evaluation of these have been taken up as a part of this project. MATLAB is a platform that serves analysis purpose and offers many advantages over dedicated, menu driven systems. Open function assure flexibility and possibility to modify functions for specific needs and also providing traceability and quality assurance. The current paper targets to make a comparative evaluation of various modal parameter estimators using existing MATLAB tools for determining modal parameters for simple structures. FRF measurements on simple structures are carried out and the data is processed using MATLAB run parameter estimators. The computed results are compared and advantages and limitations of the estimators are discussed.